Shortlisted for the British Booksellers Award Book of the Year

A Powell's Pick of the Month

"Felt-tip illustrations and poems that conveyed [Reuben's] passions for contemporary songs, movies, and the theater... become glowing accompaniments to a tenderly drawn narrative that gracefully probes issues of isolation and loneliness; sacrifice and trust; and the loving, enduring bonds of memory and family."
—Shelf Awareness, STARRED review

“In tender prose and imaginative pictures, this inventive, inspirational story traces the enduring bonds of brotherhood.”
—Kathleen Gerard, Shelf Awareness

"Manni Coe’s heartfelt debut chronicles his close relationship with his younger brother, Reuben, who has Down syndrome. ... This deeply felt ode to brotherly love will melt readers’ hearts."
—Publishers Weekly

"What a beautiful story of love between brothers. A man with Downs syndrome, who is isolated in a group home during Covid, texts his brother five words. Brother. Do. You. Love. Me. This memoir is gentle, kind, and filled with a purity of love that is hard to capture. Please read this book. It will warm your heart and lift your spirits high."
—Mary O'Malley, Skylark Bookshop

“Profoundly moving and hugely uplifting.”
—Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

“A fable for our time.”
—Sara Wheeler, The Spectator

“This is a story of our times so beautifully told and illustrated by Reubs and Manni. Deeply touching and a joy to read.”
—Jo Whiley, BBC

“You close the book feeling deeply moved by the depth of their brotherly love.”
—Daily Mail

“The most heartening love story I’ve ever read.”
—Frank Cottrell-Boyce, novelist and screenwriter

“This is such an inspiring and beautifully written story of brotherly love.”
—Martha Kearney, broadcast

“While this is a book about how we take care of each other in any context, it also has something profound to communicate about those made vulnerable by society’s tendency to view such gifts as limitations.”
—The Bookseller